2005 Outdoor Championships: Day

2005 Outdoor Championships: Day

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Marshevet Hooker ran the decisive anchor leg of Texas' winning 400-meter relay team, then two hours later pulled away to win the 100 meters at the NCAA track and field championships on Friday night.

The super sophomore completed the last of her events with performances that put the Longhorns in command of the women's team competition heading into the final day of the four-day meet at Sacramento State, site of the last two U.S. Olympic Trials.

Arkansas, with a powerful third leg by Tyson Gay, won the men's 400 relay, a big step toward the Razorbacks' third consecutive men's team championship. It would be the 41st cross country or track title for Arkansas under coach John McDonnell.

After 11 men's events, Arkansas had 32 points and Florida 23. Virginia Tech was third with 21, followed by Boise State and Florida State with 18 each.

After eight women's events, Texas led with 31 points followed by Tennessee with 28, Southern California 18, UCLA 16 and Colorado 14.

With her second-place finish in the long jump on Thursday, Hooker was responsible for 28 of Texas' points.

The Longhorns were second going into the last relay exchange, but Hooker caught and passed South Carolina freshman Shalonda Solomon for the victory. The Longhorns won in 42.87 seconds. South Carolina was second in 43.00 and Tennessee third in 43.18.

In the women's 100, Hooker, her long hair flying behind her, caught the field midway, then sprinted to victory just ahead of Tennessee freshman Cleo Tyson. Hooker won in 11.16 to Tyson's 11.29. Alexis Weatherspoon of Southern California was a close third in 11.35.

The Texas women are shrugging off the disappointment of last year's NCAA meet on their home track, when a disqualification in the relays for using improper exchange markers cost them a shot at the title.

``We came into the meet with the mentality of not worrying about last year,'' Hooker said. ``We trained hard all offseason. Training hard all offseason carries over into the national meet. I think we lingered on it last year. We came in running as a team and have had a great meet.''

After a slow start in the 100, Florida State freshman Walter Dix caught the field and won in 10.21. Wes Felix of Southern California was second in 10.25 and Demi Omole of Wisconsin third in 10.28.

Dix is the first Florida State athlete to win a men's outdoor title since Mike Roberson took the 200 in 1980.

``I hope it does a lot for Florida State track and field,'' the 19-year-old sprinter said. ``We are coming back to the glory days. It was a goal that I set in the beginning. I just can't explain it. You have to do it to understand how it feels.''

The 100 field was minus Gay, its defending champion. He was disqualified for a false start at the Mideast Regional.

But he's made his presence felt in Sacramento.

He led the 200 qualifiers in 19.93 in Thursday night's semifinals. In the relay on Friday, he overpowered the field on the curve on the third leg, and Omar Brown held off Florida's Kerron Clement down the stretch for Arkansas.

``Heck of a run,'' Arkansas sprints coach Lance Brauman said. ``If you saw Tyson's third leg and Omar at the end, you understand how much they wanted to win. I'm almost speechless.''

The Razorbacks won in 38.49. Florida was second in 38.54 and Tennessee third in 38.83.

Virginia Powell of Southern California edged Priscilla Lopes of Nebraska in the 100 hurdles. Powell won in 12.80, while Lopes was second in 12.82.

Darold Williamson, anchor of the Olympic gold medal 1,600 relay in Athens, ran the fastest 400 in the world this year, 44.27, in the semifinal round.

Williamson is shooting for big things in Saturday's finals after a sixth-place finish at the NCAAs last year.

``I was confident here and I'm not tired now,'' Williamson said. ``My goal tomorrow is 43. Now that I've seen it, I know I can do it.''

In other finals:

--Josh Walker of Florida repeated as champion in the 110 hurdles, taking the lead on the fifth hurdle to win in 13.39.

-- Mircea Bogdan of UTEP caught Andy Smith of North Carolina State at the final water jump to win the 3,000 steeplechase in 8:27.29.